Monthly Archives: June 2016

God’s kindness towards me a very overwhelming sometimes. During some health struggles last year, I had to choose to let my mints, lavender, dill, parsley, rosemary, and basil succumb to the elements. It was very sad for me to have to give them up. I held out hope maybe they’d survive the winter, but the dead, brittle stalks remained despite spring rain and sunshine.

So seeing this, Derek decided one day to completely restore my meager herb garden. He took me on date to Theisens and told pick out literally whatever I liked and however much I wanted. (I have a hard time purchasing things for myself; a statement like that is enough to make me melt into a puddle.) He said it was so that I “could have plenty of pots o’ things.”

Oregano

Dill

Chives. These were the only survivors from last year.

Spearmint — a personal favorite of Derek’s.

Sage.

Chamomile. I enjoy this tea so much. I’m looking forward to having so to grow.

Thyme. The tan pots in the back are full of basil

At this point, I kept trying to limit myself in what I chose. So Derek took over and began putting plants in the cart on my behalf. He refused to let us leave until he’d picked out at least one of every type of herb Theisens had to offer.

Stevia. I’m interest to see how this turns out in tea. Derek also got Lemon Grass and Lavender for me also.

Plain Parsley. There’s Italian Parsley too.

Peppermint. This is my favorite. There was also Applemint, Pinapple Mint, Mojito Mint, and Chocolate Mint. I thought I uploaded pics for them too, but now I can’t find them! Opps.

Lemon Balm. I’ve never tried this herb. If it’s lemon, it’s got to be good.

Whoa! Those aren’t herbs. Derek also planted a few peppers and tomatoes right outside the door to be easy for me to reach.

Onions from Derek’s grandma. They taste just like green onions!

I hope I’ll be better and able to keep them alive this year. I’m sure they won’t all survive (I’m very new to herb gardening; I’m sure I’ll botch something!), but that’s okay. I’m thankful to have fresh herbs for today.

It’s hard for me to wrap my head around how much kindness God shows me through my husband. I’m so thankful God brought us together. God is so good!

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. (Psalm 145:17 )

It’s a misnomer. For a garden, planting is never, ever, really, truly done. In the space of season, sometimes plants die or a must-have plant catches the eye. However, all the major crops are in. Any planting that remains will be those bit and bobs that always pop up now and again.

Thanks to our Bible Study group coming out to help! Because of them, Derek was able to finish these fences around the blueberries. Hopefully, they’ll be enough to keep the deer from snacking on the blueberry stems over the winter.

Pepper plants of many varieties. They’re still reeling a little from being transplant the day before. As I write this, they’re perked up and happy again.

Multiple variety of garlics. Derek decided to try elephant garlic. The clove that arrived via mail to plant was the equivalent of one regular sized garlic head. We love our garlic!

Potato row! And my hard working farmer watering in the background. He doesn’t know I caught this picture of him — haha! He’s my favorite thing in the garden right now.

One of these is a purple potato. Can you tell which one?

The cold crops. This year, Derek decided to try them in the black landscaping fabric to cut down on weeds. So far it’s working well. We had to stay out into the wee hours (which is 9pm for me) planting in the dark to get these in. Making memories like that will last long after the veggies are gone.

Close ups of the cold crops. (They grow so quick! Even since I took these pics, they’ve grown nearly twice this size!) Top left is kale and top right is brussels sprouts. The bottom is broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. But don’t ask me which is which! I’m still working on figuring out which is which.

The tomatoes have been caged! Tomatoes are so good — it’s hard to have too many. Derek is trying a couple new varieties this year, including a pink one! And cherry tomatoes! They’re super yummy dried and we haven’t had a good crop of them in a couple years. Our Alfredo missed them…

Raspberry buds waiting to bloom. This is looking to be the best crop of raspberries yet. It’d be so neat to get enough to make raspberry jam. Only time will tell!

That’s all for this week! With the planting over, now begins the weeding and the waiting. Thanks for reading!